Is party funding the Achilles hell of British politics?

Is now is the time when party funding reform should, finally, happen? Join Philip Rycroft, author of the recent independent review into foreign influence in UK politics, and Matthew Hanney, former Special Adviser to Nick Clegg, for a conversation about how the Government can make party funding reform a reality. About the speakers: Philip Rycroft recently led a UK government commissioned independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. Prior to this he worked in DExEU from March 2017 to March 2019, from October 2017 as its Permanent Secretary. He was responsible for leading the department in all its work on the Government’s preparations for Brexit. From June 2015 to March 2019 he was head of the UK Governance Group in the Cabinet Office, with responsibility for advising ministers on all aspects of the constitution and devolution. From May 2012 to May 2015, he was the Director General in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg. Through his career, Philip worked in a variety of roles, in the civil service in Scotland and London, in the European Commission and in business. Matthew Hanney is the Senior Partner at Flint Global, who advise international businesses and investors on policy, politics, regulation and competition. He studied Social and Political Sciences at Jesus and is now a Senior Research Associate at the Intellectual Forum. Matthew was an adviser to Nick Clegg 2006 – 2015, and prior to that wrote for The Economist.